Petrophysics

About: Petrophysics is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2566 publications have been published within this topic receiving 29489 citations.

From Oil-Prone Source Rock to Gas-Producing Shale Reservoir - Geologic and Petrophysical Characterization of Unconventional Shale Gas Reservoirs

Abstract: Many currently producing shale-gas reservoirs are overmature oil-prone source rocks. Through burial and heating these reservoirs evolve from organic-matter-rich mud deposited in marine, lacustrine, or swamp environments. Key characterization parameters are: total organic carbon (TOC), maturity level (vitrinite reflectance), mineralogy, thickness, and organic matter type. Hydrogento-carbon (HI) and oxygen-to-carbon (OI) ratios are used to classify organic matter that ranges from oil-prone algal and herbaceous to gas-prone woody/coaly material. Although organic-matter-rich intervals can be hundreds of meters thick, vertical variability in TOC is high ( 50% of the total porosity, and these pores may be hydrocarbon wet, at least during most of the thermal maturation process. A full understanding of the relation of porosity and gas content will result in development of optimized processes for hydrocarbon recovery in shale-gas reservoirs.

Petrophysics: Theory and Practice of Measuring Reservoir Rock and Fluid Transport Properties

Abstract: Petrophysics: Theory and Practice of Measuring Reservoir Rock and Fluid Transport Properties, Fourth Edition provides users with tactics that will help them understand rock-fluid interaction, a fundamental step that is necessary for all reservoir engineers to grasp in order to achieve the highest reservoir performance. The book brings the most comprehensive coverage on the subject matter, and is the only training tool for all reservoir and production engineers entering the oil and gas industry. This latest edition is enhanced with new real-world case studies, the latest advances in reservoir characterization, and a new chapter covering unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, including coverage on production techniques, reservoir characteristics, and the petrophysical properties of tight gas sands from NMR logs.Strengthened with a new chapter on shale oil and gas, adding the latest technological advances in the field todayCovers topics relating to porous media, permeability, fluid saturation, well logs, Dykstra-Parson, capillary pressure, wettability, Darcy's law, Hooke's law, reservoir characterization, filter-cake, and moreUpdated with relevant practical case studies to enhance on the job trainingContinues its longstanding, 20-year history as the leading book on petrophysics

A Practical Use of Shale Petrophysics for Stimulation Design Optimization: All Shale Plays Are Not Clones of the Barnett Shale

Abstract: The most common fallacy in the quest for the optimum stimulation treatment in shale plays across the country is to treat them all just like the Barnett Shale. There is no doubt that the Barnett Shale play in the Ft. Worth Basin is the “granddaddy” of shale plays and everyone wants their shale play to be “just like the Barnett Shale.” The reality is that shale plays are similar to any other coalbed methane or tight sand play; each reservoir is unique and the stimulation and completion method should be determined based on its individual petrophysical attributes. The journey of selecting the completion style for an emerging shale play begins in the laboratory. An understanding of the mechanical rock properties and mineralogy is essential to help understand how the shale reservoir should be completed. Actual measurements of absorption-desorption isotherm, kerogen type, and volume are also critical pieces of information needed to find productive shale reservoirs. With this type of data available, significant correlations can be drawn by integrating the wireline log data as a tool to estimate the geochemical analysis. Thus, the wireline log analysis, once calibrated with core measurements, is a very useful tool in extending the reservoir understanding and stimulation design as one moves away from the wellbore where actual lab data was measured. A recent study was conducted to review a laboratory database representing principal shale mineralogy and wireline log data from many of the major shale plays. The results of this study revealed some statistically significant correlations between the wireline log analysis and measured mineralogy, acid solubility, and capillary suction time test results for shale reservoirs. A method was also derived to calculate mechanical rock properties from mineralogy. Understanding mineralogy and fluid sensitivity, especially for shale reservoirs, is essential in optimizing the completion and stimulation treatment for the unique attributes of each shale play. The results of this study have been in petrophysical models driven by wireline logs that are common in the industry to classify the shale by lithofacies, brittleness, and to emulate the lab measurement of acid solubility and capillary suction time test. This is the first step in determining if a particular shale is a viable resource, and which stimulation method will provide a stimulation treatment development and design. A systematic approach of validating the wireline log calculations with specialized core analysis and a little “tribal” knowledge can help move a play from concept to reality by minimizing the failures and shortening the learning cycle time associated with a commercially successful project. Introduction Producing methane from shale has been practiced in North America for more than 180 years. The first known well in the U.S. drilled to produce natural gas for commercial purposes was in 1821 outside of Fredonia, N.Y. (2008 www.britannica.com). This well produced from a fractured organic-rich shale through a hand dug well. It was produced for more than 75 years. Production from the Antrim shale in the Michigan Basin started in 1936. Today, there are more than 9,000 wells producing, most of which were drilled after 1987. The Barnett Shale, discovered in 1981, is being produced from more than 8,000 wells today (Wang 2008). Fig. 1 represents the growth of the Barnett Shale play in the Newark, East field in the Ft. Worth basin. The cumulative gas production from this field is more than 4 Tcf. One could characterize the success of this play as: the right market, the right people, and the right technology (Wang 2008). The key technologies for the Barnett Shale success revolve around horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture stimulation.

Physical properties of rocks : fundamentals and principles of petrophysics

Abstract: Part 1 Rock physics as an integrated and integrating component of geosciences: introduction rocks of the earth - their composition and classification results of experimental investigations - an overview models as a basis for rock physics theories - an overview. Part 2 Pore space properties - porosity, specific internal surface, and permeability: introduction porosity specific internal surface permeability. Part 3 Density of rocks: definition and units density of rock constituents density of rocks. Part 4 Magnetic properties of rocks: physical basis and units magnetic properties of rock constituents magnetic properties of rocks. Part 5 Natural radioactivity of rocks: physical basis abundance of uranium, thorium, and potassium in minerals the abundance of uranium, thorium and potassium in rocks - the natural radioactivity of rocks radioactive heat generation. Part 6 Elastic properties of rocks: physical basis and units elastic properties of the rock-forming minerals and the fluid rock constituents the velocity of elatic waves in rocks - results of experimental investigations theories. Part 7 Seismic wave attenuation: definitions and units anelastic properties of the fluid and gaseous rock constituents the attentuation of seismic waves in rocks - results mechanisms and theories. Part 8 Thermal properties of rocks: physical basis and units thermal properties of minerals and pore contents thermal properties of rocks theories and models. Part 9 Electrical properties of rocks: physical basis and units electrical properties of minerals and pore contents electrical properties of rocks. Part 10 Some relationships between various physical properties of rocks: overview relationships between the properties determined by geophysical methods relationships between properties determined by geophysical methods and geotechnical properties.